One of the most important contributions Powered for Patients has made to enhance patient safety has been its work documenting seriously outdated generators in our nation’s hospitals.
Powered for Patients recently completed an analysis of hospital emergency power systems for the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency and identified 55 hospital generators in excess of 40 years of age, including several over 50 and 60 years of age. Seven of the 55 outdated generators are used by hospitals with only a single generator.
In response, the Los Angeles County EMS Agency is taking proactive steps to better protect patients in these facilities. The EMS Agency is providing funding to the county’s 14 single-generator hospitals to deploy a powerful new situational awareness tool developed by Powered for Patients as part of a Department of Homeland Security-funded initiative.
Power P.I.O.N.E.E.R., which stands for Power Information Needed to Expedite Emergency Response, continuously monitors generator performance and sends automated, real-time warnings to designated individuals anytime a generator experiences a mechanical problem during a power outage. These real-time alerts will accelerate deployment of government generators and provide a valuable head start in planning for a potential hospital evacuation.
The recent deployment of P.I.O.N.E.E.R. in two of LA County’s single-generator hospitals represents the first time a U.S. hospital is making automated, real-time generator threat alerts available to government emergency managers.
For more information, visit https://www.poweredforpatients.org.
